Broken Glasses
by PWRDOWN
Summary: AU: It's the summer of 1999, and Paige has an accident that leaves her with a certain girl on her mind [collaborated with frenzdrive]
1. Chapter 1

She hissed in pain as she doubled over, her hands covering her nose; unsure if she was actually bleeding, but it certainly hurt. Her books lay sprawled out on the sidewalk, her glasses had abandoned her face, cracked on the concrete. She couldn't bring herself to open her eyes, partly because she feared the sight of her blood, if there was any, that is, but mostly because she was embarrassed. Of all days, what did Paige McCullers do to deserve this?

Mentally, she slapped herself for being so naïve of her surroundings. She should have seen the errant volleyball heading in her direction. Her reflexes were quick enough; she could have definitely dodged it. Of course, if she were aware of it—if she had seen it. Paige hissed once more, not at the pain, but at herself; was this God punishing her for not going to church more or something?

"Why me?" She moaned, finding the courage to stand up straight, but her eyes remained closed. She wasn't that courageous yet. Paige was convinced that her nose was not broken, but then again, she did not know how it would've felt even if it were.

Footsteps approached her quickly, "Oh my, God, I am _so _sorry," A female commented, a gentle hand touched Paige's shoulder, but, by impulse, she shrugged the hand off, "Are you okay?"

That was one of the questions that Paige so badly wanted to answer with; 'are you kidding me,' but she didn't have that type of bravery. Instead, her eyes cracked open— narrowing at the harsh rays of summer's sunlight, and the newfound soreness that was developing on the area between her eyes. Her eyes fell before a dark figure before her, without her glasses, Paige couldn't make out any distinctive features, "I-I'm fine," Paige responded nasally, hissing again as she felt pain when she talked.

The figured reached out to her, "Let me see it. Move your hands," The female demanded, but sounding polite with the request. Paige was hesitant, and didn't move a single inch, "Please," She remained hesitant, but reluctantly dropped her hands from her nose, a small whimper passed through her lips. The delicacy of attention brought to the cartilage as a pair of hands caressed the area, caused Paige to shiver, "It's not broken, but you do need ice,"

"Thanks…" Paige uttered, not knowing what else to say in a situation like this, also because it pained her to speak. She pulled her face out of the pair of hands, and leaned down to pick up her textbooks blindly. Everything was so blurry. She reached for her glasses on the ground, finding it hard to find them as she fumbled, grazing her fingers against the concrete with hesitancy.

"Here," The female grasped Paige's hand, and placed the wired framed glasses in her palm, "I'm really sorry, let me make it up to you," She said as Paige slipped on her glasses, one lens cracked, "Or at least let me pay for your glasses, that's the least I could do," Paige shook her head, rejecting the offer.

With her glasses on, she could, kind of, see the female before her. She had tan skin, flushed with a sheet of sweat, her purple tank top clung to her body, her dark hair was pulled into a messy bun, and a pair of chocolate eyes stared at the young woman. _Whoa. _Paige didn't want to appear to be staring; she averted her eyes, casting them onto the ground beneath them.

"I couldn't let you do that," She said, reasoning with the girl's offer, "It was an accident, and accidents happen, that's why they're called accidents," If the girl wasn't so attractive, Paige probably would've thought differently. Even though a girl like that would never go for someone like Paige, she could only dream.

"No, really, I insist," She persisted

Paige relented, "If you must…" The idea of being pitied upon made Paige feel a twinge of irritation, but she had a feeling that this girl would not take no for an answer.

"What's your name? I can find you in the directory,"

"Uh… Paige McCullers," She was almost certain that the girl wouldn't remember her name, especially later.

"McCullers," She repeated, "I'll find you, and I'll make it up to you," She said with a very faint smile.

* * *

"What the hell happened to your nose?" Aria Montgomery asked as Paige walked into their dorm, her eyes catching a glimpse of Paige's nose, which was bruising. She got up from her bed, rushing over to Paige, "Did you get in a fight?" Paige shook her head, making her way to their mini fridge, opening the door, pulling out a cool water bottle.

"I got hit by a volleyball," She said, wincing as she placed the bottle over her nose

"That must've been a really hard hit," Aria commented, stepping in front of Paige, standing on her toes to observe her nose, "Your glasses are broken,"

"I have another pair," Paige replied, "I really did like these pair though,"

"That sucks, did you at least get an apology?"

"Yes," Paige sighed, wincing again, "She has insisted on making it up to me, I don't know why, and I hardly think she'll follow through"

Aria smiled, "Maybe it's your charming personality,"

Paige rolled her eyes, "Come on, Aria, it's 1999, and no one cares about personality," She said, "It's all about sex appeal, who can get naked the quickest, and manipulation"

"You're so pessimistic,"

"I'd like to think of myself as a realist," She tossed her textbooks on her bed, "An extreme realist,"

"Who hasn't been laid for—" Paige instantly reddened, and Aria chuckled amusedly, "What's got you so flustered?"

"Shut up," Paige said, lying down on her bed, "You know for someone so short—"

"I'm really wonderful, thank you, Paige," Aria finished and Paige smiled. Paige really enjoyed Aria as a roommate; even though they were opposites, they instantly clicked. "Oh, by the way, do you even know the person who hit you? You know, just in case they come by and you're not here or something," Paige shook her head, "Huh,"

"I just know she's athletic," _And really, _really _pretty. _"I think she plays for a team, I don't know, I've never seen her,"

"Can you describe her?"

"Brown eyes, brown hair, tan skin, plays volleyball?"

"Your height?" Paige tired to pinpoint her height; maybe, she was. Hesitantly, she nodded in response, "I think that it's Emily Fields,"

"Who's Emily Fields?"

"Uh… she's in just about every sport? Wins everything?" Aria said, as if this was common knowledge, "She just broke the school's swimming record? Not ringing a bell?" Paige shook her head, "You really are disconnected," Aria laughed, "I can't believe that you've never heard of her,"

"Well, I don't really care about…" Aria rolled her eyes, already knowing how Paige would finish that sentence, "Hey! Come on, you know I don't usually know that kind of stuff,"

"Right, yet everyone else knows of her," Paige took off her glasses, and sighed. _So, her name is Emily Fields_, "Well, anyways, just to let you know, I'm going out tonight,"

"Really?" Paige replied, "I bet it's with that teacher assistant again,"

She didn't have to look at Aria to know that she was blushing, "Whatever, he's really cool, I like him,"

"So, should I expect you to be out all night?"

"Yeah, do you think that you can cover for me, you know, if the resident comes by?"

"Sure thing, Aria, have fun with your lover boy tonight," She teased

"You know I will,"

* * *

Paige sat down her book in her lap; her dark room was only illuminated by the soft glow of her lamp. She had slipped on her other set of glasses; they were thicker, a plastic rimmed pair that she particularly didn't enjoy wearing. She couldn't concentrate on the words in her book; her mind was elsewhere.

She sighed, twisting slightly to turn out her light. As she got comfortable underneath her blankets, she closed her eyes. And, oddly, her thoughts consisted of the girl who broke her glasses.

* * *

**Author's Note: So this is Frenzdrive and I's spectacular collaboration. It's pure fluff, and not serious at all :3 **


	2. Chapter 2

Paige jerked from her sleep when she heard the sharp knocks at her door; her eyes quickly glanced over to her roommate's bed, only to see it empty, and, then, she squinted her eyes at her alarm clock. It was only six o'clock in the morning. She groaned, who could possibly be awake this early… on a Saturday no less!

She swung her feet out of bed; her feet touched the cool hardwood of the floor. Paige pushed herself from the bed, dazedly standing, and making her way to the door. She was in such a deep slumber, innocent dreams of Emily Fields. She pressed her palm to her door, steadying herself, "Who is it?" She called sleepily, a slight slur to her voice.

"Uhm… it's the girl from the… It's Emily Fields… I broke your glasses yesterday… on accident…" She stammered from the other side of the door.

It took a full three seconds for the gears to start churning in Paige's head, as she registered the voice to the memory. Her tiredness instantly subsided, "Oh!" She unlocked her door and opened it, revealing Emily Fields, wearing a light sports jacket and jersey shorts, standing nervously at the doorway.

Emily's gaze fell to Paige's nose, which had darkened to a dark blue in bruising, she felt guilty looking at what she had done. Accident or not, Emily was going to make it up to Paige, "Would you like breakfast with me?" She asked, watching Paige focus and refocus her eyes on her. _Oh, my god, now she can't see anything because I broke her glasses. _

"I… uh…" Paige stammered, her mind screaming at her. This was Emily Fields, in the flesh, at her door! Paige glanced down at her nightly attire— she wore the oldest academics shirt that she owned, which had acquired a few holes and faded over the years, and a pair of sweat pants that didn't fit Paige properly. She felt her face heat up; this was embarrassing, "Um…" She couldn't find many words in her vast vocabulary, "I… sure… I need a minute…" She spluttered sheepishly, finding herself closing her door before she received an answer.

A silent exclaim fell from Paige's lips, "Why me?!" She cursed as she quickly, but clumsily, made her way to her bedside, picking up her glasses from the nightstand and slipping them on; the world no longer a blur. Of course she would be embarrassed around Emily; even in the simplest clothing, she had managed to look exceptionally _hot. _Whilst… Paige… "God! I look like a mess!"

She rushed to her closet, pulling out a pair of jeans. Paige examined them before throwing them to the floor, "Does everything I own have a hole in it?" She tried again, finding another pair of jeans. Content with her selection, she peeled off her sweat pants, leaving them discarded on the floor. She tugged on the jeans, fastening them with swiftness. She grabbed a black jacket and slipped it on, zipping it all the way up.

Paige rushed to her bathroom; she stared at her reflection in the mirror and grimaced. She had intense bedhead and her face looked like she'd just come out of a bar fight… and she answered the door to Emily. She slapped herself on the forehead. If she had known that Emily would _actually _show up, she would've attempted to attend herself to look better, but this was a surprise, and Paige _despised _surprises—Especially now, where Emily was lurking outside the door.

She rushed to brush her teeth, and to tame her hair from the previous slumber, before she found herself half decent to face Emily once again. Paige opened her door slowly; Emily was leaning against the wall opposite the door.

"Hi," She said, with a smile, "Uh… you look nice," She said, "I mean, before, you looked nice too," Emily pushed herself off the wall, "I'm sorry that I woke you up, I know it's early… I just wasn't sure how your schedule went…"

Paige subconsciously licked her lips, "That's fine… I don't mind…"

"I see that you have more glasses…"

Paige touched the rim of her glasses lightly, as if she were reminding herself that they were there, "Ah, yeah, I've always had two pairs, just in case," She cleared her throat, "So, uhm, are we going to the cafeteria…?"

Emily shook her head, starting to walk down the hallway of Paige's dormitory, she followed, "Actually, there's a café right outside the campus," Emily said, "I don't know if you've ever been, but I know that it has an amazing breakfast menu,"

"Yeah?" Honestly, eating cardboard would be more tasteful that eating foods from the cafeteria. But Paige wouldn't say that to Emily.

She nodded, "Yup," The two of them left the building and started walking off campus, a silence had loomed over them, and Paige found it hard to start a conversation. She just didn't know what to say. Should she talk about Emily's sports? _I don't know anything about sports though. _Should she ask about Emily's love life? _I don't want to appear like I'm prying. _What about parents? _But what if she doesn't speak to them? Or what if they're dead?! _

Paige thought of the only topic that required no personal touches.

"It's pretty nice out," She started

Emily nodded in agreement, "It's always pretty nice out around this time," She mused, "I'm usually outside at this time. It's never too hot, not too cold,"

"What do you do this early?"

She shrugged, "I do some running, sometimes I even study. It really depends, but I just like being outdoors," Emily gave a smile, "But today, I'm doing none of that. I'm treating you to breakfast,"

Paige was still caught up in Emily's smile, and didn't hear what she had said, "Uh, what?"

"Breakfast,"

"Oh, right, right," Paige muttered, "I'm sorry, this is pretty early for me," It was only half true, most days Paige didn't roll out of bed until nine o'clock, but she wouldn't admit that she found Emily's smile breathtaking and rendered her of her senses.

They continued walking until they reached their destination. Emily had dined there almost everyday. The employees knew what she wanted by heart. However, Paige had only heard of the place, but never been. Emily opened the door for Paige, "Ah, thanks,"

"You're welcome,"

"Hey Emily!" A man bellowed, "Dakota, move your ass, get her order on," He added mutedly, addressing his employee. His dark eyes fell to Paige, "Oh, you brought company?" He mused, raising a single brow.

"Yes, Sam," Emily replied, "This is Paige, she goes to school with me," Unfortunately, Emily couldn't say much else. She couldn't tell him how they met; she'd never live that down.

"Uh, hi,"

He looked over her once, Paige shrunk under his gaze, "God, child, have you been eating well?" He asked Paige, "Dakota, damn it, I told you to get her order on," He told Dakota, not bothering to be as quiet, "Might as well make two of that order," Dakota rolled her blue eyes, "Hey, don't be like that!"

"Whatever, Sam," She turned her back to Paige and Emily, busying herself, "The things I put up with!"

Sam laughed nervously, "Well, you know teenagers, a giant pain in the _ass._"

Emily turned to Paige, "I hope you don't mind an omelet,"

"I'm not picky,"

"Even if you were," Sam started, butting in their conversation, "We have the best food in Pennsylvania! I'm not being arrogant about it, have you know, this is a fact, but anyways, you can pick anything off of our menu and it will taste like a masterpiece!"

"Sam," Emily said, "I know,"

"And… I take your word," Paige said, not sure what else to say.

Dakota turned around, sliding two plates of freshly cooked omelets on the countertop, "Here,"

Sam clenched his jaw, "You ladies take this," He said to the two of them before glaring at Dakota, "May I have a word?"

She took off her apron and threw it over the counter, "Fine," She stomped into the backroom.

"Ah, excuse me ladies, please enjoy your meal," Soon, he followed his employee.

Emily glanced over to Paige before walking to the counter, picking up their plates, "Where would you like to sit?"

* * *

**Author's Note: I came down with the sickness this past week. So, I didn't write then.**


End file.
